Lucky Charms
by disgruntled female
Summary: OOC/AU Bella moves in with the father who didn't know she existed. Will she follow her heart when it comes to the vegetarian vampire we all love? Or will she push him away when word of war comes to her people? And who exactly are her people?
1. Leaving

Hey all! I'm disgruntled female and I'm new... sort of. I've been reading fanfiction for a few years now, and so I know what annoys readers and what doesn't most of the time, like author's note chapters. Blech! The worst. So I'll try not to do that. I'm not that great at remembering things, so I'll probably not update very fast but I hope you enjoy it anyway.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.

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When the wish to visit my birth father first entered my head, on nothing more than a breeze, I never would have guessed that it would quickly wind up as a typhoon, upsetting every other thought, consequential or not, until it consumed my entire being. Why the need to see him now became so strong, I don't believe I'll ever know, but as the clock ticked the seconds away slowly, it became almost a physical ache, as if my heart and mind weren't with me anymore, but in the small town of Forks, Washington, where I knew my father lived by himself. So I was now on my way to join them.

My mother, sister, and I were standing in silence in a bustling terminal of the Phoenix airport, gazing about us as people passed. There were people sleeping on uncomfortable looking chairs, reading the newspaper, or talking on cell phones. None looked like they were enjoying themselves very much and I began to wonder why they traveled at all.

The people across the hall from us were called to board their plane and I witnessed a few tearful goodbyes. Glancing at my mother, I wondered if tears would be shed by either of us. The smooth, alabaster planes of her face that looked so much like my own at the moment were set in the indifferent, haughty expression I'd grown so used to over the past seven years and I scoffed at my vain hope.

My sister, on the other hand, had been crying all morning. I knew she would miss having the one companion who loved her for her and not what she would be. She sniffed delicately and wiped her eyes. I smiled softly down at her, but it only made her eyes well up with water yet again, and she let out a sob that almost broke my heart.

"Samantha," my mother said, her tone bored, not looking at either of us, "do not blubber so. It is unsophisticated."

I felt anger rise in me at her words. Her lovely, six year old little girl was standing beside her, upset, and all she cared about was that she kept up appearances. As usual, though, I kept silent as Sammy ceased her 'blubbering' as my mother so kindly put it. Nobody dared speak their minds to Renee.

I thought wistfully of the days where she was carefree and flighty; of when her eyes were filled with warmth and not ice; of when she cared about individuals and not of the grand scheme of things.

I was ashamed to be standing at her side. I wanted nothing more at that moment then to pretend she wasn't anything but a stranger to me. But it was impossible not to see the resemblance between us.

All three of us had the same long, brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin; in fact, I'm sure that looking at us, the only differences you would see would be age and height. At the moment, it was a nuisance, but it would only mean fewer questions asked later.

The silence had now grown awkward and the tension grew thick. It was a relief when the intercom above our heads telling my flight to commence boarding.

All instructions from Renee forgotten, Sammy started to cry again. I knelt on the floor in front of her to be able to look her straight in the eyes, ignoring my mother's disapproving glance. "Hey," I cooed softly, "I'll see you in no time. You'll see. These two years will just fly by."

My words didn't seem to help. "I don't understand why I can't come with you," she whimpered, her normally cheerful voice small.

My eyes flicked to Renee standing a few feet away, but she was staring determinedly in the other direction. "Hun, it's just best that you stay home for now, okay?"

"It's mother, isn't it," she whispered so that only I could hear. Hesitating, I nodded my head almost imperceptibly. Hatred overpowered her small figure and my eyes widened. A creature so sweet and innocent should not be so angry.

"But it's not just that," I added hastily, trying to erase the fault I'd just made. "I don't know if my father's house would be big enough for both of us. For all I know, I might have to sleep on the couch. And you know that it isn't wise for you to be too far away from protection."

"Oh, don't use that argument with me," she snapped. "It is just as dangerous for you to be by yourself as it is me. In fact, I would be safer with you than with anyone else." She crossed her arms over her chest, daring me to tell her otherwise.

I sighed, knowing she was right. There was nothing I could do, though. So, like the coward I was, I ran away from the problem. "I have to go," I said heavily. I hugged and kissed Sammy goodbye, hurt when she didn't return my affections.

Straightening myself out, I turned to Renee and bowed my head, my right hand clenched in a fist over my heart. Our cold expressions were mirrors of each others' as she inclined her head in acceptance. I sighed as I walked over to the lady taking tickets.

"Wait!" I pivoted as I heard Sammy's distressed cry. She launched herself into my arms and wrapped her own around my neck. I squeezed her tight and she whispered in my ear, "Promise me that we'll see each other soon."

Not being able to deny her anything, I whispered back, "I promise." She kissed my cheek and I placed her back on the ground, hoping that I would keep my promise.

Looking into the dark hall that would lead me into unknown places and to my father, I took a deep breath and steeled myself. I knew that change was in the air and my world would be flipped upside down as soon as I started walking.

I couldn't wait.

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A/N: So what did you think? I thought a thousand words was decent for my first ever chapter. Let me know if this sucks or if you think I should continue. Next chapter will be basically the same as this one, no real action and no Cullens, but they will most likely be mentioned. I'm not certain yet, but I think so.

Love, disgruntled female


	2. Home

Hola! So this chapter doesn't have the Cullens in it like I thought it would. It introduces Charlie, though, so that's good. I made him a little less awkward. I wanted Bella to have the father she wanted. Anyway, I was surprised at the people who have already added this as their favourites or put it on their alert. Thanks so much! This one's for you guys.

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight

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I sat myself down in the seat my ticket indicated. Being one of the last passengers on the plane, the chairs on either side of mine were already occupied. I looked on in envy as they both dug through their carryon bags for something to do. That had been one thing I'd accidently overlooked.

So, for the next couple hours, I had nothing of interest to do but delve into my thoughts.

Why was the pull so strong for me to go see my father? Of course, I could always go with my grandmother's theory, but this is one of the times I wished she wasn't always right.

I banished any thoughts of my home to the back of my mind, only wanting to focus on what lay ahead of me.

When I'd called Charlie, my father, he'd sounded as if he was about to have a heart attack at the words 'I'm your daughter'. Sure, it may not have been the smartest of ideas to start a conversation with those words, but we'd have lots of time for pleasantries when I got there. I was crushed when I found out that he knew nothing of me. It was obviously not his fault, but Renee should have known better than to keep that from him. My spirits lifted greatly, though, when he insisted I come and stay with him until I graduated.

My face scrunched at the thought. I had to go to a regular, human high school.

It makes no difference, I told myself. The annoyance of a few hours of school was definitely worth being able to get to know my father.

_I wonder what high school will be like_. I'd seen the buildings where students had been taught, but I'd never entered. On my yearly outings, I'd be waiting outside the school property, most likely across the street, when class let out. Everyone looked relieved to be released from their figurative prison, including the faculty. What could be going on in there that they all wished to be free of?

Would I have any friends in the school? Did I want any? Would Charlie be everything I wanted him to be? Would my grandmother be right?

I cursed myself for straying back to that thought. But the mind wants what the mind wants, so I succumbed to its wish and relived the conversation I'd had with my grandmother.

As I entered her room, she'd said, "You're leaving." It wasn't a question.

"Yes."

We sat in silence for a time, inhaling the calming incenses she had placed strategically around the room. The mixed scents of jasmine, lavender and vanilla were odd ones, but familiar. Glancing around, the place was in a mess, as usual, scarves wrapped around the glass of the hurricane candles on each mismatched table making the room dark and relaxing, scrolls and ancient books strewn around flippantly, herbs hanging from the ceiling, adding to the blend of smells, and a small fire warming a cauldron in the fireplace.

I then looked at my grandmother. She had the same hair color as I did, and her eyes were like mine, filled to the brim with mischief. Those were the only similarities in our looks, though. Her face had more of a round quality than my own and she had a fragile build. She looked impossibly young for anybody's grandmother.

She was clothed in bright colors, multiple scarves hung loosely around her neck, and just as many piercings in her ears. I smiled. Odd, but familiar.

"You'll be back sooner than expected," she stated abruptly. I wasn't accustomed to the slight frown on her face, but I didn't comment, waiting patiently for her to finish her thought. "You do have a purpose in Forks," she said, looking into my eyes. "It is to prepare you for tor the war to come."

My blood ran cold as I heard her say that so nonchalantly. I knew that there were worries about invasion, but it was nothing but a rumour until that moment.

"Shouldn't I stay and prepare everybody then," I asked. Already, defence and offence strategies were forming in my head.

"No!" I recoiled as she yelled at me for the first time. "No," she repeated quietly, her face softening. "You must go. If you don't, it will ruin everything that has been set into motion." The last part didn't seem to be directed at me.

I was jerked out of my reminiscing by a loud roaring, going for the weapon that wasn't there. Looking for the source, I saw that nobody else seemed very worried. This must be part of the flight. I tried to relax, but it turned out not to be possible. Anyone looking at me would have believed me to be serene, the only indication of any stress, my clenched fists. I was a good actress. As soon as we touched down in the Seattle airport, though, a huge smile lit my face.

I was now away from any serious problems. I could pretend to be a normal kid. My smile turned a little wry as I thought that. There was no way I would be anywhere near normal.

Following everybody off the plane and to the luggage carousel, I found my bag. I probably spent a little more time standing there than was normal, watching it go around and around. Someone bumping me on their way past snapped me out of my trance. "Excuse me," I said, miffed. The person just kept walking. _Rude_, I thought.

I went over to where people were getting picked up by loved ones, hoping to get a glimpse of my father. I didn't even know what he looked like! Craning my neck to either side uselessly, I almost gave up when I heard someone call, "Bella!" Looking over my shoulder, I saw a man of middling age with salt and pepper hair raising his arm while attempting to squeeze through a party of four. "Sorry," he called to them while still heading over to me.

"Bella," he said again, awed, looking at me as if he couldn't believe I was real. I knew I was looking at him the same way. Quickly, he enveloped me in a big hug. My heart bursting from my chest, I hugged him back with all the strength I could muster.

"Dad," I said in the same tone of voice as his.

We stayed in that position for a few minutes, neither of us wanting to let go now that we'd found each other. But, with a great sniff, trying to hide the tears in his eyes, Charlie pulled away and smiled the same smile I see every day in the mirror. "C'mon kiddo," he said gruffly. "Let's head home, huh?"

I nodded, not bothering to hide the wetness in my own eyes, my smile brilliant. "Yeah," I said, happily. That sounded nice. "Home."

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So what did you think?


	3. Welcome to the neighborhood

Hi. Sorry it's so short, but I unfortunately have school in the morning. Same as Bella. But sadly, there are no Cullens in my school.

Disclaimer: Do I own Twilight? Why yes, yes I do. Well, at least a copy of it.

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It took us a couple hours to get from the airport to Forks. That had been my first time in an automobile. It was quite exhilarating. Also, quite loud. But not as loud as the airplane had been. The beginning of the ride consisted of me staring wide eyed at the buildings flying past, my father smiling at me lovingly.

"You're acting like you've never seen a big city before," he said, chuckling. Oh, how right he was.

"It's just so different from Phoenix," I lied smoothly, naming the city I had told him I lived in.

Truth was, I had never been to a human city. Sure, I had gone on all the yearly outings with the patrols, but they'd never gone any closer than the furthest outreaches of towns. There was no need for our kind.

Once concrete and brick turned to bark and leaves, though, I diverted my attentions to the man sitting next to me. We discussed everything. Ourselves, the town, the house, Charlie's job as police chief, my life 'back in Phoenix'. We even touched the subject of Renee. It seemed a painful topic for him, but I told him that she was happy and that she spoke quite highly of him. That made him smile a touch. I hated lying to him, but I had to do what was necessary.

_I wish we could have been a family. Just the three of us. One big, happy family..._

I felt a burning sensation in the back of my throat and knew I was close to tears. It was a lovely wish, but one that could never be fulfilled.

I resumed my earlier activity of staring out the window. The road was winding this way and that, and the sun was starting to go down, creating an almost mystic quality about the forest.

I just about jumped out of my skin when I saw a flash of white amidst the brown and green of the trees. My eyes being as quick as they were, I saw that it was a beautiful, Victorian mansion. It was pure white with curving stairs leading to a grand front entrance. Parked in a separate house with five doors were shiny, beautiful looking vehicles. They were nothing like the blue and white, boxy car I was currently in. And they didn't have blue and red lights on the top, either.

"Whose house was that?" I blurted into the silence. I tried to keep the masterpiece of a structure in my line of vision by twisting my whole body at a strange angle, but it was impossible.

Charlie tried looking where I was, but he couldn't see anything. "Are you talking about the Cullen's place?" he asked.

I looked at him. "If I knew the answer to that question, I wouldn't have asked my own," I said cheekily.

He chuckled lightly. I liked the noise. "Touché. But considering they're the only ones who live this far outside the town limits, I'd say that would be theirs. But how could you see that? The house isn't exactly close to the highway."

"Good eyesight," I answered simply.

"Really good eyesight," he muttered. "But, yes, it belongs to Dr. Cullen and his family. The good doctor has done much for the hospital and his wife is the nicest woman I've ever met. Their kids have never done anything out of line. They're the best of people. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise," he said sternly.

"Why would they?" I asked.

"Why would they be good people?" he returned, not understanding my query. His face was scrunched in confusion, making the wrinkles in his forehead more pronounced.

"No," I said, laughing. "Why would people say bad things about the... Cullens was it?"

"Well, they're really the center of the town's gossip. They have five teenagers, two girls and three boys. Two of the boys are dating the girls." Seeing my head cock to the side, he said, "I know, I know. But it's not as bizarre as everyone is making it out to be. They're all adopted. Only the Hale twins are related by blood."

Was this a common thing, I wondered. Family members dating each other? But why would people disagree with that? It's their own choice if they wanted to. Maybe it was jealousy. I've heard that it could make people do and say not so nice things.

"I believe that two of them are in your grade, actually," my father continued. "They all go to your high school, so I'm sure you'll meet them tomorrow."

Tomorrow. I started school in the morning. Human school. Eleventh grade, my dad had said. I wonder what time sword practice is...

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So that was the third chapter. Do you think I should continue?


	4. Our house

So! This is the new chapter. Things are moving slower than I thought they would in this story, but that just keeps the mystery alive! We find out more about Bella here, but still no Cullens. Sad, sad. Sorry, but they might not come in for another couple chapters. Please don't be mad! I love you all!

Disclaimer: I, along with half the female population of the world, wish I owned Twilight. Then I would get exclusive rights to Edward Cullen. Sadly, though, I don't.

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Once we reached the inside of the town's perimeter, Charlie asked if I wanted a tour. I was ecstatic at this suggestion. Not necessarily because I wanted to see the places, as I was sure it was nothing compared to my home, but I would jump at any opportunity to be with my father.

"Of course," I said as soon as he voiced his thought.

He grinned at me, seemingly happy that I was so excited.

_I wish I could have seen what my daughter was like as a kid._

I sighed. I'd been hearing things like this the whole time we'd been in the car. Yet another thing I couldn't do for him. It almost made me want to put my block back up.

It wasn't that I wasn't used to hearing the wishes of the people around me; I'd been born with that 'gift'. But when it wasn't in your power to grant them whatever it was they desired, especially the people you love, it became a little difficult.

I'd learned to control my power and was able to turn it off, or block it, if you will, with the others like me, but whatever your skill set or age, it never got any easier to do so. It took much concentration and it made you feel as if a part of you was missing.

I'd put up the block whenever I was in large crowds, like at the airports, or whenever I wanted time on my own, without the whispers flitting through my head. They may be whispers when it's only a few dozen people, but when there are hundreds, it can be compared to having an opera singer rehearse next to you in a sound proof room. An opera singer that can't hold a tune.

I was thankful that I only had to endure two years of this. It was a very good thing that I couldn't hear the wishes of my people. I don't think I would be able to handle that.

My father started pointing out buildings that he considered to be landmarks, so that I'd be able to find my way if I ever decided to wander around.

"So that there is the Newton's store, they have a son that's in your class, if I'm not mistaken. And beside that is the general store. Nancy is the manager there, so if you ever need any help looking for anything, just ask her. She's always working. And across the street from that is the Carmichaels' pharmacy, if you need any, you know," here he leaned in and whispered, as if it was a huge secret, "feminine products." He straightened back up in his seat and let out a bark of laughter, I'm guessing more out of discomfort than anything. I laughed along with him, not fully understanding the joke.

As we drove along, Charlie inputting comments here and there, I made a point to look at what people were wearing as they walked along the sidewalk. One of the patrols had given me something to put on for my trip here, knowing more about human fashion than I did, but I would need my own clothes.

It seemed as if Tabitha had chosen well, as my attire was almost identical to that of the other teenagers I saw. It was getting colder, so they were all wearing sweatshirts Tabitha called 'hoodies' because of the hoods attached (quite uncreative if you ask me), and denim pants she said were 'jeans'.

I knew a lot about humans, but my classes didn't include their personal traits. Like that person at the airport earlier. Did people normally bump into each other without apologising? Or was that just some people?

My father turned down a quieter street and then into a driveway. "This is home," he said, nervousness in his voice.

I looked out the window to see a little two story house that was in obvious need of a new paint job and was tilting a bit to one side. The windows were musty and the wood of the porch seemed to be mouldy.

I loved it.

A huge smile broke over my face and Charlie relaxed his tense shoulders. "Which one's my room?" I asked. As soon as I said the words, I wished I could take them back. I was expecting way too much. What if I did have to sleep on the couch and my father thought I was being ungrateful asking for my own room and he sent me back to Renee and never wanted to see me again? Why was I so stupid? I was forever saying things that I shouldn't. How was I supposed to lead our army to victory if I couldn't even control what I said?

My worries were fruitless, though, because Charlie just smiled and said, "The window behind that cherry tree looks into your room."

I smiled and berated myself for thinking what I did. It wasn't as if I'd forced my presence on him, _he_ asked to see _me_. But the truth was, I thought he'd tire of me like my mother had. That's why she'd remarried and had Samantha. The new title didn't hurt her situation either. I was just waiting for him to tell me in a faux pleasant voice that he'd had a nice time and we should do it again while wishing that I'd never contacted him in the first place.

His wishes, though, told me that he was as happy that I was that I was staying. And was I ever happy. The only thing that would make this perfect was if Renee had allowed Sammy to stay with us. But she'd pulled me aside when I'd mentioned it and told me that Samantha wasn't to go with me since she didn't want me corrupting her good child.

I, being the pushover that I am, only replied with an "understood". What I wanted to do was slap her.

But as I've said before, nobody dared speak their minds to Renee.

At the moment, though, I didn't have to worry about her. For the first time in a while, I only had to think of myself. Charlie told me to go unpack my two bags after showing me which door to go through. He offered to carry my things upstairs, but I just waved him off saying that I was quite strong enough to carry my own bags, not wanting to be of any inconvenience.

"Alright," he said. "I'll just get started on dinner. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me. The house isn't that big, so you should be able to find me. Feel free to explore."

"I'll do that," I said, grinning.

When I got to my room, I saw that it was decorated much like what I'd seen of the rest of the house, which, admittedly, was the entrance hall and the stairwell. There was blue paint on the walls with white trimming and very old looking wall to wall carpeting. It was mostly covered, though, by a brand new bedroom set. The twin bed had a navy blue comforter and very fluffy pillows. The sight of this room made me realize just how much Charlie wanted me here, to go through all the trouble of getting this stuff for me between the time I first called him and the time he came to pick me up at the airport, which was only about three days.

I could feel my lips quivering as I held back my tears of happiness. Clearing my throat, I lifted my bags onto my bed and opened them both up.

I had no clothes, not knowing what to bring, but I did have all of my books to keep up with my studies in case they didn't teach certain subjects in Forks High School, some for recreational reading, and my weapons. I was glad that I could change their sizes, or else the normally four and three quarter length blades wouldn't fit into my drawers, where I decided to keep them, knowing my father wasn't likely to go through my things.

Those took up two of my four drawers and I decided to keep my papers under my bed. The other two drawers were used for the keepsakes I wasn't willing to have out in the open, including, but not limited to, my crystal ball, a portrait of Sammy, spell books my grandmother had given me and my emerald green cloak.

Kyra, my pet vine, got the closet to herself.

"You know the other scent? The one that's not mine?" I asked her. She vibrated a touch to indicate yes. "That's my dad," I said proudly. "So you don't go near him. Don't even let him see you." She shuddered to let me know she thought I was being too careful, but she agreed not to get close. I let her slither where she may, and she attached herself to the bottom left corner of my closet and fanned out, making herself at home. She let out a trilling, little sigh, telling me she was content where she was.

And you know what? So was I.

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Alright, so that's it. It may be a little confusing right now, but you'll get it all when the Cullen's do... which probably won't be for a while, considering the pace this story is going at, but the more people review, the faster I'll update, so get those fingers a-typin'!

Disgruntled female


	5. Delicious casserole?

Sorry it took so long to update, but this is almost twice as long as the other chapters. So enjoy!

Disclaimer: I own only the computer I'm typing this on. And even that was paid for by my mom.

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I took a few minutes to enjoy the feeling of being wanted. I was here, in my father's house, with my own room, he was downstairs making dinner for us and I had almost everything anyone could ever want. My smile grew wide. Yeah, life was great.

Lying on the ground with my eyes closed, my head in my closet, I was fiddling with Kyra's bright green, scalloped leaves, listening to the rain pattering gently on the glass of my window. Below me, I could hear Charlie bustling around in the kitchen, moving around pots and pans, opening and slamming cabinet doors. The smell of dust was strongest on the floor, I found.

Letting go of Kyra, I clasped my hands over my stomach, and let my mind wander. It went outside of the house, to the yard where the most prominent scent was that of wet grass. I could feel the water falling from the sky, see each particle as it hit any and every solid mass, splattering in slow motion, soaking the earth and feeding the flora. It went to the forest behind the house, where the travels of the droplets from cloud to ground were intercepted by close-knit leaves and branches. Deeper in the trees, I could feel the shifting of the air as a gathering of beings rushed closer. Swiftly and quietly, they came steadily nearer.

I jerked out of my peaceful meditation at the possibility of danger. As all of me came back into my body, I was hit with an awful, acrid smell. That wasn't the only indication of something not being right. A deep red colour was bleeding into the green of Kyra's leaves and dark black thorns were poking out of her skin. There was a great calamity of noise downstairs before it all went silent. It was only quiet for a moment, though, when a shrill alarm went off.

I'd already snapped into motion, grabbing my Everglasse blade from my drawer. Kyra was also prepared. She'd slithered from her place in the closet to my arm, pushing back the sleeve of my sweater to wrap around my forearm, careful not to scratch me with her thorns. Throughout the whole thing, my mind was screaming only one thing, worried only about one person.

_Please let him be alright_, I cried internally. _Please let my father be safe._

What I wanted to do was run to him, making sure he was okay, but years of training had drilled into me that doing that could possibly kill both of us. What I needed to do first was find out what the threat was, and then I could strategise. Surprising the enemy was the wisest move if they had Charlie already, but if they cared nothing of him and were after me, running to him may bring him to their attention.

Squeezing my fist tightly, I winced as Kyra inserted a sharp needle into the crook of my elbow. Instantly, my vision was overlapped with a different angle of the room in front of me. As a branch of my vine elongated and slithered quietly under my door, I could see everything she could. The hall outside my room seemed clear, everything having a gray quality about it, the walls taller, the carpet a jungle of stained fabric. Used to this way of sharing Kyra's sight, I grabbed my doorknob, pulling it as silently as I could. Stepping with my socked feet into the hallway, I walked toward the stairs, Kyra looking behind as I watched ahead. She slipped in front of me, down the steps. She stopped in front of the entrance and the sight that greeted us was a strange one. The door was not open.

There was no way that an attacker would be considerate enough to close the door after breaking in. Kyra came back to me and I walked down to the landing, two feet of sword hanging at my side. I was a little more relaxed, but still cautious, as I turned to where I thought the kitchen was. Just because the door hadn't been broken down does not mean someone hadn't gotten in another way.

I thought back to the group I had felt in the forest. There was no doubt that they had power, but were they here already? Was this even their destination?

Turning the corner, not bothering Kyra to go first, I looked into the kitchen. The siren still blaring, I looked into a quaint, white room, water stains on the roof and yellowing linoleum on the floor. The oven door was open, expelling thick smoke. In the middle of it all, I saw a very surprised Charlie looking at the blackened mess in his gloved hands.

Taking this opportunity to shrink my sword to the size of a pen knife, I placed it nonchalantly into the pocket of my pants. Kyra quickly and smoothly extracted the thorn from my arm and made her way back to my room, realizing there was no danger, her foliage back to its normal green colour. I pulled my sleeve down to my wrist passing the already healed spot on my arm that Kyra had just been in.

"What's this?" I asked, my voice portraying the proper amount of shock and amusement and not the extreme relief that I felt when I saw my father safe.

Baffled, the greying man in front of me looked up and said, "I was trying to make a casserole..."

I burst out laughing. Charlie looked a little put out at this, so I stopped quickly. "How about I do the cooking and you just busy yourself by turning off that obnoxious beeping," I suggested. Remembering the alarm, he went over to the window above the sink and opened it. It wasn't even ten seconds before the noise stopped.

"I'm not going to let you cook," my dad said. He did a good job at sounding affronted at the idea, but I saw the look he was giving his attempt at supper.

Smiling, I said, "I love to cook. Please?"

It didn't take much for his hunger to override his want to do everything for me. "Well," he said, "only if you want to."

"It would be my pleasure." I shooed him out of the kitchen saying that the less time he spent in there, the better it would most likely be for both of our health. He grudgingly agreed, saying that he would be watching the football game on television if I needed him.

Looking in the fridge, I saw that the only thing in there was a fish and some baking powder. Shaking my head at that, I stuck my head into the living room. "Dad?" He turned to me with his eyebrows raised, silently asking what he could do. "I'm just going to get some ingredients for dinner. Is that alright?"

He looked surprised. "Of course! No need to ask. Money for groceries is in the cookie jar on the counter."

"Thanks," I said, not planning on taking any of his money.

Leaving the house, I walked into the forest and began my grocery shopping. Looking for the vegetation needed, I chose the best mushrooms and mosses I could find. Having a recipe in mind I looked for the plants that were to go in. Not being able to find a few, I listened closely for anyone nearby, but the only things I heard were a handful of squirrels, a herd of deer a few miles away and that one group coming ever closer, however, they were still about four point seven miles south-east of me and at the speed they were traveling, it would take them a whole five minutes to get here. I had a lot of time.

Clearing some leaves from a patch of ground, I lightly tapped the earth and, as if it were being fast forwarded, a sprig of barley grew from that place. I repeated the process a few times and got everything I needed. Gathering my supplies, I went back into the house, knowing full well that I had left not two minutes before the group arrived in the exact place I had just left.

They stayed there, watching me through the window, in the cover of the trees, as I prepared the meal. Taking my time, I thought to myself that if they wanted to talk to me, they could wait. After half an hour, dinner was served.

"What is this," my father asked, looking at the loaf in front of him. He seemed a little wary.

I smiled and told him it was my grandmother's recipe and that it had been in the family for generations. After seeing me dig into it heartily, he chanced a bite. I watched on in smug amusement as ten different emotions ran across his face ranging from fear to amazement, ending in delight. "This is delicious, Bells." My heart jumped when he gave me that name, but he was too engrossed in his meal to notice.

For an hour we talked and ate, my spirits soaring. They crashed a little when we finished. The group was still waiting for me. And my father was insisting that he clean up. I was running out of excuses.

How was I so sure they wanted to talk to me? Their wishes were very loud.

_I wish she would just come out already..._

_I wish we could get this over with... _

_I wish she would quit stalling..._

Whoever that was had a point. I was wasting their time. They didn't seem malicious in any way, and I was powerful enough that I had nothing to be afraid of. Plus, I still had my Everglasse blade in my pocket.

As Charlie filled the sink up with water to wash the dishes, I said, "I'm just going to go for a walk."

"Alright, hon." My heart jumped in my chest again at his endearment. "Just don't get lost." He laughed again, and I laughed along, getting the joke this time. As if anyone could get lost in Forks.

Kyra, hearing all that had transpired, had come down earlier and hid in the front closet. I opened it in the pretence of grabbing a jacket. She wrapped herself around my neck this time, making it look as if she were only a small, delicate and beautiful necklace, incredibly detailed, every vein in her leaves a darker colour than the rest of her, indicating her apprehension.

"Are you ready for this?" I asked her quietly so that my father wouldn't hear me and think I was talking to myself.

She vibrated in what was close to resignation. I sighed deeply.

"I feel the exact same way."

With that, I opened the door and stepped out in the rain.

* * *

And there you have it folks. The fifth chapter. I realize that this story isn't really that well written, but this is the only the first draft. After I finish writing this, I'll go over it again and rewrite it, so, yeah... I also realize that this is taking forever to go anywhere, so I apologize, but hopefully, it will be worth it.

This comes up to about two thousand words! How proud are you guys of me? I'm super proud of me.

I'd really like some constructive criticism if you don't mind. What am I doing well? What am I doing suckish? Does the whole thing suck? Really, I'll take anything. I take insults pretty well, too, so whatever. You want to tell me you had a pet cat named Kyra, so you think that the name is cool, go right ahead, but I'd like something I could use, if you don't mind. If you think the ends of the chapters suck, 'cause I'm bad at them, let me know. I'll try to make them better. Whatever. Just _something._

Love you,

Disgruntled female


	6. Friends

Here you go! The sixth chapter.

Disclaimer: I only wish I owned Twilight.

* * *

The droplets landing on my cheeks were cold, but it was more of a light mist then anything by now. I, along with Kyra, walked casually toward the edge of the forest, knowing that Charlie could see me through the window from his position at the sink. I touched the leaves of the trees lightly, smiling as they reached for me like a sunflowers turning their faces to the sun. Walking into the protection of the trees, I slipped my hands in my pockets, adding to the charade of my relaxation while in reality grabbing a hold of my Everglasse.

As I approached the group, I mentally assessed the danger they held. They were not part of the Dorchalan, that much was clear. Their faces were not hooded, for one, and they were dressed in the brightest colours of the autumn. If I hadn't known exactly where they were, I would have thought them part of October's natural decorations. Their faces were soft and the golden brown of rich honey. Unlike me, their flippant comfort in the situation was not forced.

The tallest of all and the obvious leader of the pack was leaning against a tree, his eyes following my every move, their hazel colour warm and excited. Although he was the most intimidating of all of them, his half smile showing his sharp incisors, his muscled arms crossed over his just as muscled chest, there was no way I could be frightened by him in any way. His height was equal to the length of my shin. Though, that didn't mean that he couldn't put up a tough fight. Their hight made it so that their opponents underestimated their abilities, which is a big mistake. They are vicious creatures. They bite. Hard.

Two more were chatting with each other, making wild hand gestures and laughing so hard they almost fell off of the high branch they were perched upon. Those girls' shrill voices turned from amusement to shrieks of indignation, though, as a boy beneath them, lying with his back on the ground and his legs resting against a tree at a right angle to his torso, threw a pinecone at them. It was clear who the topic of their conversation was.

"No need to get upset, Timothem," said the girl with short brown hair a little lighter than my own, her burgundy dress flowing as she dropped noiselessly to the ground, her friend following closely. In the fashion of their kind, the girls' dresses were similar in some ways but wildly different in others. While the one was burgundy, the other was patches of different shades of orange, but both were held up without straps, torn at the base in a careful disaray, above the knees in some parts yet angling down to touch mid-calf in others, adding to their wild look. "We were just having a little fun."

The boy called Timothem scowled at the girls from his place on the ground before deciding it was high time to get up. Scrambling to his feet, he said, "Well, you can't dole out what you can't take, Lauralee. Was it not you who cut off Jerimine's bed hangings because she laughed when you fell in that mud puddle?"

"Well, she shouldn't have laughed. It was a little mean," came the timid voice of the orange clad girl.

"Katomil," Timothem said, his voice teasingly mocking, "Jerimine helped her out after _and_ gave Lauralee the cloak off her back so she wouldn't catch a cold."

When they started laughing, it showed me quickly that grudges weren't held onto in this _treibh._

"Children," said the only one who had been thus far silent. He used the term even though he couldn't have been two years older than the other three. Of course, looks were always deceiving with this kind. "Is this any way to behave in front of a guest?" The others bowed their heads in mock sheepishness, trying to keep their giggles behind closed lips.

"Oh, don't let me intrude on your therapeutic bickering," I said, my amusement leaking into my words. "It's not healthy to keep your thoughts to yourself. You must spread them out. Make others listen. Or your opinions go to waste."

"Wise words, _cosainema_, which brings us to our reason for being here." It was evident why he was chosen by the _treibh_ to lead this inquiry. On a female heart softer than my own, no doubt an immediate attraction toward him on my part would have given them the upper hand. Looking like a nineteen year old boy, his features were strong, but they still held a softness to them, around the almond shaped eyes and the wide mouth. Even the smallest smile would bring out the dimples in his cheeks. His jaw and nose were well defined and his hair was a mess of midnight black curls. The clothes he wore were not unlike Timothem's. Loose breeches and vests open over bare chests only enhanced the beauty of the picture.

Even the girls, their eyes wider than those of the boys, their faces softer, rounder, were quite lovely to look at. Both sexes were magnificently exotic.

It was a good thing that I was not very impressed by beauty, having grown up surrounded by it in large doses.

"Before we discuss that," I said, keeping my voice light, "should we not first make introductions?"

They all smiled at this. "Cautious," said the unnamed one. "Good. Just what we need in a _cosainema_. Well, I'm sure you've heard the names of these ingrates," he said, giving Timothem a light tap on the back of the head, sending the girls into yet another fit of giggles making Timothem roll his eyes, hiding a smile. "But my name, my lady, is Caolen. At your service." He finished with a theatrical bow.

I waited patiently, raising my eyebrow a hair.

They all looked at each other and sighed in unison. In the same fashion, they chorused, "Pumpernickel", laughing uproariously, tinkling, soprano voices mixing with rich alto.

I relaxed and gave them an unrestrained smile, taking my hands out of my pockets at last and seating myself on the forest floor so that we could all look eachother in the eye more easily. That gesture alone showed my trust in them. It eliminated part of the intimidation factor. All because of one little word.

It sounds ridiculous, I know, but the fae, like Caolen and his _treibh,_ were almost identical to their more evilly inclined cousins, sprites. The only difference was that, for some strange reason, sprites were unable to say the word 'pumpernickel'. No one was certain if it was a speech impediment that was inherited, or if there was some sort of curse on them. Tests had been run for generations, but no hypotheses had yet been proven.

"My name," I said as the ruckus died down, "Is Isabella Swan. Everyone calls me Bella, though. Much less of a mouthful."

"Bella it is then," cried Lauralee. That just set them off again. Joyful, this group, I had come to see. This should be fun.

After that, it turned to more serious matters, but with the fae, serious was always accompanied by more laughter.

"So, I suppose you will be attending to _consainema_ duties while you are here," Caolen stated more than asked.

"But of course! Just tell me what to do."

They informed me of the job description. It wasn't much. Visit the village twice a week, and the dungeons as many times. Make sure everything was in order and tend to everything else that had become second nature since I was old enough to walk.

"Is that all?" I asked, surprised.

"Almost," Caolen said, stretching his opaque wings. They were like those of a dragonfly, yet larger in width (A/N Sorry, but I'm not sure if that's the right unit of measurement. I go to a French emersion school, so if anyone speaks French, I mean 'largeur'). "You're going to the human school, aren't you?"

"Yes," I said, not understanding where this was going.

"You most likely won't have to worry yourself with them, they keep generally to themselves, or so we've observed. But there are vampires attending Forks High."

This surprised me greatly. Blood drinkers amidst so many humans were dangerous. What were they thinking?

"Again, I tell you not to worry yourself with them," Caolen said, seeing the shock on my face. "They're animal drainers." We all scrunched our noses. To us, drinking from animals wasn't much better than drinking from humans. "The Cullens."

At the sound of that name I grew much more interested. "My father mentioned them. The clan leader is a doctor?" That surprised me more than anything else. "They must have excellent control."

The four in front of me nodded their heads in agreement.

"Well, we'll have no problems then. I'll stop by the village after school tomorrow and you could introduce me to the rest of your people. Does that work for you?" I'd come either way, but I may as well be polite.

"Of course," Katomil said kindly. Her personality was slightly less intense than the others'. I could see us becoming good friends.

Checking the position of the sun, which was difficult as it was hidden behind clouds, I saw that we'd been conversing for over an hour. "Well, if that everything, I must be getting back. My father will start to worry, I'm sure."

We said our goodbyes and I promised to see them the next day.

I liked them. For the first time in a while, I felt like I had friends. Not that I didn't have friends back home, but this was different. The fae didn't recognise the social code like we did. They didn't care about my station and so didn't treat me strangely because of it. Not to mention, I laughed more in that hour than I had in the past week.

The first thing I saw as I walked through the door was that the kitchen had been cleared and Charlie was sitting on the sofa watching another sports game. "Hey kiddo," he said turning at the sound of the door. "You were out for a while. Meet anyone new?"

"Sure did, dad," I told him, not mentioning that they weren't exactly what he would expect. "I'm going to head to bed now. Big day tomorrow." I flashed him a fake sleepy smile.

"Of course Bells," he said, understanding. "Goodnight." I had one foot on the step when he called me again.

"Yeah, dad?"

Sincerity shone on his face and in his words. "It's great to have you here." I smiled widely, letting him see that I felt the same way. "And that's a really pretty necklace." With one last smile, this one more out of amusement, he turned back to the game.

I touched Kyra on her place around my neck and she vibrated happily. Still smiling, I climbed up to my room.

_Big day tomorrow_, I repeated in my head as my head hit my pillow. It wasn't long before I closed my eyes to get some unneeded sleep.

* * *

And there you have it. What do you think? Good? Bad? Confusing? And I really need a suggestion for a new summary. Mine isn't that good. Any ideas, just PM me.

Love you,

Disgruntled female


	7. School will be the death of me

Hey! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but the Cullens are here, the Cullens are here! Yay! Hope you like it.

Disclaimer: Why would I need a disclaimer? I'm Stephanie Meyer! …When I close my eyes and pretend really, really hard…

Sorry, forgot the song name. It's Dulaman by the Celtic Woman.

* * *

My eyes snapped open and I took in the darkness of my bedroom. I had felt my father moving around in his room and concluded that this was the normal time that humans woke up.

Gathering the clothes I had worn all day the day before, I sniffed them gingerly. They smelled like they had been out in the rain for hours, then left in a heap. Granted, that's what had happened, but still…

I would definitely need to get new clothes.

Shrugging, I realized that there was really nothing that could be done about it at the moment. I put on the outfit, struggling with the zipper. We didn't have any of those back home and it would take a little while to get used to.

After getting my skin caught in them several times, I finally had my pants and sweater zipped up. Smiling at my small victory, I walked out of the room. Kyra caught up to me, slipping around my neck again.

We'd decided that it was best if she stayed with me the majority of the time. I had always been a attraction for danger, and with the Dorchalan always a threat and vampires at the school, she would be there if I needed a hand. Not to mention, she gets bored by herself.

Walking down the stairs, careful to make at least a little noise so as not to be suspicious, I psyched myself up for school today. What did I have to look forward to?

There wouldn't be anyone I could really get close to there, because I could tell no one what I really was, not even the Cullens. They were _leath daonnan_, part humans with a touch of magic in them and didn't know of our existence. Humans themselves were too afraid of anything unnatural to be trusted with something as important as our lives and _leath daonnan_, vampires and werewolves, were too cunning not to use us as their own personal weapons. That wasn't a life any of us wanted to live. Our war was with the Dorchalan, the dark ones, not fighting for a pitiful disagreement between races.

I stepped into the kitchen and saw Charlie eating a peanut butter and jam sandwich. I'd heard of those, but never actually tried one. By the looks of it, I wouldn't want to either. It didn't seem very appetising.

"Bella," my father said, shocked. "What are you doing up so early?"

The question confused me. I thought I was supposed to be up. "I always wake up this early," I said, trying to pass it off as nothing. Was this not a customary time to be awake? At home, in _Pairc Glormhar, _we never slept, not needing to, so there was no reason to actually get up.

Charlie whistled. "Impressive," he stated. "I have to drag myself out of bed in the mornings, yet here you stand, fresh and beautiful as a daisy."

I blushed lightly at the compliment. No one ever said things like that to me. Not with true meaning, just when they wanted to get in my stepfather's good graces; and still, they usually reserved that for my sister, his real daughter.

Shuffling awkwardly, I covered my face with my mahogany hair, cringing as I saw the color. How much I wanted my natural color back. But this is what Rennee looked like when she met my father, and we wanted to keep up mother-daughter similarities.

I cleared my throat in the silence and asked, "When does school start?"

My father glanced at the clock and said, "Three hours." He smiled sheepishly. "I actually like to get to work early, really early, so I'm going to head out."

He looked like he didn't want to leave. I didn't want him to leave either, but I wasn't here to interfere with the pattern of his life, so I gave him a slight push. "Well, have a good day. I'll see you when you get home."

"Yeah. See you later, hon. If you run into any problems, just dial 911 and I'll come running." With a parting smile, he grabbed his jacket and holster off of the hook near the front door and walked out to the car. I waved out the window to the retreating vehicle and pondered what to do for the next three hours.

Kyra, tired of her hiding place already, dropped from my neck and grew to her normal size of five feet. When she was this size, I could just close my fist around her. She was getting big. I'd had her since she was a seed and she had become my personal shadow; not that I'd want it any other way.

She stretched every leaf and gave a small _mrt_ of annoyance.

I rolled my eyes at her. "You chose that place," I said, accusingly. "Where would you rather go?" Instead of answering, she wormed her way up to my head and sat behind one ear, then stretched over to the other ear to create a band across my hair.

I focused on my reflection in the window and smiled. It looked nice. Kyra used a branch to sweep the hair in front of my face underneath her, leaving my face clear. "Thanks," I said.

For the next little while, I wandered around the house, picking up items and laughing at the intellect that must have gone into creating them. We'd learned the theory of technology in class, but I had never come this close to human inventions. I mean, I opened the fridge and a light turns on! I lost track of time trying to figure out how it worked. As it turns out, there was a button that was kept pushed down until the door opened, at which time, the light illuminated. The things that people could do without magic.

Even the lights were different for humans. Theirs were bulbous and burned you when you touched them. In _Glormhar_, we had carved circles of Everglasse, designs swirling all around them, set in delicate silver sconces. When we willed them to, a pale blue fire lit within the Everglasse. The best part was that they were portable, as they were cool to the touch.

I looked a the clock on the wall, another invention of the humans, one we were taught to be able to use, and saw that time had flown quickly. It was time to go to my first day of high school.

My father had pointed it out on our short tour and it wasn't far from here. I stepped out of the house and smiled at the rain coming down on my face. Standing still for a moment, I tried to remember which way the school was from Charlie's house. No. _Our_ house.

Grinning wider, I walked over to the forest and started running in the direction of Forks High. The wind and the rain were whipping at my hair and my face, my legs pumping fast and the trees nothing but a blur. The smell of rotting leaves was strong in my nose and I could hear every snap of a branch. All of my senses were heightened.

It took less than two minutes to arrive at the cluster of buildings that was the school. I must have been early, as there was no one around save the few stragglers. I make my way to the administration building and walked into the heated room, out of the rain. There was a middle aged woman at the desk there. Her name tag said that her name was Mrs. Cope. She seemed a little frazzled as she searched in drawers and under papers.

_I wish I could find those divorce papers. I wish I could just get this over with._

I stepped up to the desk and Mrs. Cope looked up at me. "How can I help you dear?" She asked, distracted.

"Hello," I said kindly. "My name is Isabella Swan. I'm a new student here."

"Oh, yes," she exclaimed. "Chief Swan's mystery daughter. We've all been so happy that you have appeared. Charlie is a wonderful man, but so lonely. You were just what he needed. He's been walking around town all week, a huge smile on his face, telling everyone about how you would be coming to stay with him for the next couple of years. You were just what he needed." She smiled at me and it took ten years off of her face. She shuffled around some of the things in front of her and gave me a stack of papers.

"These are all of the things you'll need today. This is a map of the school and I highlighted the quickest routes to your classes; this is your schedule; and these papers you'll need signed by your teachers. Hand those last ones back to me by the end of the day. Do you have any questions?" She smiled softly up at me from her seat.

"No. I think I'll be fine, thank you." I walked toward the door, but stopped halfway there. I could hear Mrs. Cope continuing her search behind me. I bit my lip and turned back. "You left this in my pack of papers, ma'am," I said, handing her a large manila envelope that hadn't been there half a second ago. The woman in front of me blushed, embarrassed, staring at the name of the lawyer's office printed largely in the center. She took it from me with shaking hands.

"Thank you," she said in a broken voice.

I looked at her and said, truthfully, "I hope it works out well." She looked at me, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. "You know," I said, considering her, "I don't think he deserved you. From what I can tell already, you are a very kind person, and you're beautiful when you smile." She flushed a light pink and looked down at her hands, still holding the envelope. "You should do it more often." I smiled brightly and she smiled back. I waved to her and walked out the door.

"Thank you," I heard her whisper to the closed door. I grinned. There was confidence in that voice. She would be fine.

I walked to my first class with my head down, looking at the map that Mrs. Cope had given me. The parking lot had filled up since I had gotten there. Everyone was whispering about the new girl, thinking I couldn't hear them. I knew I was a novelty and that the whispers would stop, but at the moment, they made me more self conscious. I blocked them out and hummed a traditional song among my people, encouraging good luck in a new journey, Kyra vibrating along with the rhythm. (A/N Insert song now.) Unconsciously, my feet skipped along in the dance that normally accompanied the song. (A/N I don't know about you, but I completely want to start dancing whenever I listen to this song.)

I passed through the morning with ease. Surprisingly, we had learned all of these topics in our human classes. I think I had already become a favourite with my teachers since I answered correctly all of the questions they directed toward me.

It was at lunch when everything started to go wrong.

I walked into what, according to Mrs. Cope's so far accurate map, was the cafeteria. No one other than the teachers had spoken to me, my guess being that they all thought that I was a freak. So the packed room in front of me was a little nerve wracking. When the door slammed behind me, about four hundred pairs of eyes turned in my direction. My face flushed dark red and I stood in line behind a dozen or so other students. Absently, I thanked the lady that handed me a tray and went to find an empty table. There was only one, so I hurried over. If at all possible, the whispers got louder.

I tried to pretend that they weren't there and began to hum my good luck song again. Soon, I started to whisper the lyrics with the tune. That relaxed me a lot.

"That's very pretty." I jumped at the voice so much that I fell off of the bench. On the floor, I cursed myself. It wasn't often that I was caught off guard. How had I not heard this person? I don't think they were a threat, or else Kyra would have warned me.

With my unnaturally brown eyes, I looked up at five people towering over me. Three of them were looking at me with shocked eyes, probably from my fall. The blond boy looked like he was going to be sick and the redhead looked like he was going to bite my head off. All of them were angelically beautiful, even the redheaded boy whose entire body radiated fury. I think I found the Cullens.

"My gosh," bellowed the largest of the three boys. "I've never seen anybody have such a fright!" He laughed but stuck one of his large hands toward me. I grabbed it, smiling widely, and he pulled me up easily. Yes, he was huge, but his curly, brown hair, dimples, and kind eyes gave off a boyish charm that you couldn't help but smile at.

I thanked him as the short girl, looking more like the fae than anything, pulled her hands from over her mouth and said, "I am so very sorry. I wasn't aware that you didn't know we were here." This had to have been the one that scared me. Her tinkling voice was easy to recognize. Her hair was cut short and layered randomly, as if she had let a child cut it with a knife. It suited her perfectly, of course. She couldn't have been more than four feet tall, making her too tall to be fae, but her sharp, angular features could have fooled you into thinking she was.

"I'm fine," I promised her. "Don't worry yourself over it."

"I still feel awful about it though," she said. "Are you sure you aren't hurt?'

"Fit as a fiddle," I told her with a laugh. She still looked uncertain. "My name is Bella," I supplied.

That seemed to snap her out of her daze. "I'm Alice," she said. "These are my siblings." She pointed each out as she introduced them. The large boy was Emmett, the gorgeous girl beside him was Rosalie, the blond boy was Jasper and the angry boy was Edward. It was obvious who was with whom. "Would you mind terribly if we sat here? There isn't much space elsewhere."

"Not at all," I said and gestured for them to sit. They each put down their trays and sat, Jasper and Edward sitting as far away from me as possible, their eyes pitch black and they weren't breathing.

I tore my gaze away from them as Alice asked me, "So, Bella, what was that song you were singing?"

"It was nothing, really, just something my family sings for luck."

"I didn't think it was nothing," she said, affronted. "It was lovely. What language was that?"

"Um, it was Gaelic," I said, happily. My father was right. The Cullens were really good people. So far.

They were all surprised, yet again. "Do you speak it?" Alice asked.

"It's my first language," I told her. To say they appeared impressed would be an understatement. At their questioning glance, I said, "My mother's part Irish."

I took the time to observe them. Alice and Emmett seemed interested in what I was saying, and willing to accept me for the time being. Rosalie looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here. Her wishes confirmed my guess, every once in a while, she would send a glare my way and wish that 'the human wouldn't interfere with her family'. I warmed up to her cold behaviour instantly. She was only thinking of her clan. Jasper, looking ill, was wishing adamantly that he had gone hunting earlier. I felt bad for him, among all of these humans and so thirsty. Edward seemed to be having the same problem, only… with me.

This confused me to no end. Did I smell of human? How was it that the thirst worked? We'd never learned that in class. Was it the blood? Or was it us, ourselves that smelled so appetizing? I decided to do something about it and wiggled my fingers inconspicuously under the table. The change was instantaneous. Jasper took a deep breath and relaxed his tense posture. His eyes turned from black to the same deep caramel colour of the other three. He even smiled.

But with Edward, nothing. Well, almost nothing. His jaw unclenched the tiniest bit. That may have been my imagination, though.

All of Jasper's siblings snapped their eyes to his face, and they looked incredulous. Jasper, however, looked relieved, like the weight of the world had just been lifted from his shoulders.

I looked back and forth between Jasper and the others, feigning worry. "Is everything alright?"

"Perfect," Jasper spoke for the first time, his voice smooth as honey. Mostly to get attention away from him, I'm sure, he asked me, "Are you not eating?"

I looked down at my plate in surprise. I'd forgotten it was there. On it was a mix of lumpy mashed potatoes, with mushy carrots and runny ground beef on top. (A/N For those who don't know, it's viande hasher, and it's delicious. Trust me. It's better than it sounds.) I cringed and shuddered in disgust at the sight. "No," I said, swallowing the bad taste in my mouth. "I'm a vegetarian."

At that second, the bell rang. Had it been an hour already? "Well, it was nice to meet you all," I said, hurriedly. With one last smile, I grabbed my tray and tossed my uneaten food in the garbage can.

I ran to the biology building and had my paper signed by the teacher. He assigned me a seat and went over and sat. A couple minutes later, the rest of the class walked in and with them was Edward Cullen. The murderous expression on his face showed me that he didn't like me any better now than he had five minutes ago.

Of course, Fate would have it that he came and sat rigidly at my table. The entire class was spent with him alternating between clenching and unclenching his fists. That's why it came as such a shock when, as the bell rang, Edward turned to me, nothing but charm coming from him.

"Hello, Bella," he said, his voice velvety and seductive.

"Hello, Edward," I replied, looking at him strangely. He was acting pleasant enough, but there was something in his manner that shouted that things weren't right. Not only that, but his eyes were still black.

He smiled, showing me his venom covered, razor sharp teeth. I smiled back at him, hesitatingly. We sat there, in silence for a moment, as most of the other students cleared out of the room.

I waited patiently for him to speak, but he just stayed still, watching me. I raised my eyebrows.

"I was wondering," he said, finally, "if I could walk you to your next class." He asked as if expecting me to agree immediately.

I mulled this over for a minute. I was getting a bad feeling from him a the moment, but I didn't want to be rude. My instinct won over, though, and I said, "No, I think I can find it myself, thank you."

With that, I walked out the door.

The cool rain hit my face and Kyra vibrated. I decided I'd made the right decision. Edward had a complete mood change, and I didn't know what to make of it, and that was dangerous.

Speaking of dangerous, my eyes traveled to the forest on their own. There, in the brush, was my sister, waving at me cheerfully. I looked around hastily, and strode purposefully toward her. I was furious. My little sister was here all by herself, with no protection that I could see, a beacon for the Dorchalan. I was in the trees before I realized there was someone behind me.

I twirled around and found myself mere centimetres from Edward Cullen. There was no more pleasantness in his face, nor was there anger. Only hunger. And pain.

_I wish I wouldn't do this… I wish I wasn't a monster…_

It's not his fault. He had no choice. I knew that. So I stayed still as he bit into my neck, fire burning from that spot.

I felt Kyra slide off of my head and knew that she would keep Sammy safe for me. That made me smile.

I focused on Edward, he was sobbing, his defeated form shaking above me. I could feel the last of my blood draining from by body.

I cupped his cheek in my hand and he looked at me in shock. That seemed to be the only way his family _could_ look at me. "You're not a monster," I told him, with my last breath. He howled like an injured animal at my words, and after that, I knew nothing else.

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A/N The end.

I'm totally kidding.

What do you think? I think it was a little too much in one chapter, but I wanted to get to the action. I mean, it's chapter seven for god's sake.

Is it any good? I sure hope so. I spent six hours writing this, and I'm pretty sure this is my longest update. 3600 words? Yep, my longest chapter.

So I'd better get some reviews for this! I would like five, only five, reviews, and actual reviews, not just story alerts, before I update. So unless I get five reviews, you won't have any clue what is going on. So ha.

Love disgruntled female


	8. Shock

Yay! My first EPOV! And also one of my quickest updates. I know I said I'd only update after five reviews, but I really wanted to do some writing tonight. This chapter is actually pretty lame. You have been warned. I might re-do it. I don't know yet. Depends on the feed back.

Try to enjoy!

Disclaimer: Chuck Norris wishes he was Stephanie Meyer. And so do I.

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Why does this have to happen? Why must I carry the burden of only being able to live at the suffering of others?

It was all her fault. Why did she have to come and ruin everything? Her with her intriguing personality, deep brown eyes, and impossibly alluring scent.

Everything about her was different. The first thing I noticed about her, of course, was the fact that she was sitting at our regular table, by herself, rather than socialising with others of her kind. Alice insisted that we were meant to sit with her. How could she possibly know that when she couldn't see the future when this _girl_ was involved.

We had taken a few minutes to see if our powers still worked. I heard everyone else, like normal, but it was as if she wasn't even there. It seemed, however, that Jasper had none of these problems. He could sense, easily, that she was nervous and lonely.

Alice took it upon herself to befriend this 'Bella' even though it was obvious that Jasper was having difficulties controlling his thirst.

I pitied him, until we were close enough to her that I could sympathize with him. The smell of her blood was overpowering and it consumed all of me. I could taste her, feel her blood running down my throat, hear her heart slow down…

No. I couldn't do that to my family. Or to her.

I had to be strong, prove to Jasper that it was possible to keep to our diet, that it would get easier after time.

But it turned out that Jasper didn't need me to show him. In a millisecond, he went from wanting to murder the hundreds of innocents in this room to feeling as refreshed as he ever had. His whole demeanour changed in that moment. And we didn't know why.

I envied him, but as his thirst, having added onto my own because of my ability to hear exactly what he was thinking and just how thirsty he was, disappeared, my own lifted. Only the slightest, but it helped me focus.

I couldn't do this. I couldn't just drain some person. It was murder. It was wrong.

All thoughts of right and wrong went out of my head, though, as she hurried to her next class, the wind rushing past her, carrying the mouth-watering essence of her past me, her luscious brown hair bouncing as she walked.

I spent the next hour beside her, in biology class, arguing with myself. What was one human? We could leave right after I did it. No one would believe that I had anything to do with it. There were some many reasons that it was possible for me to do it.

Only one that told me I shouldn't, but that was enough.

Apparently, my body didn't agree with me. When the bell rang, I found myself asking to accompany her to her next class. I hated that there was no way she would say no. Vampire's are uncontrollably persuasive.

Yet again, she surprised me. She said no. This girl was incredible.

It was for the best, I had no problems convincing myself of that.

I followed this enigma outside after a minute of shock, and groaned at the irony. I thought I was finished with this, that I would just go home and forget Bella Swan existed for a while. It was going to be simple. But this was too perfect for the monster in me to bass up.

There she was, walking into the forest by herself. Witnesses would say that she went in by herself and just didn't come back. They wouldn't even see a pale, black eyed monster run in after her.

It was but a second before I caught up to her. She turned and looked at me. In those brown orbs, I saw only surprise. I could feel the venom pooling in my mouth at our nearness. I didn't want this. I didn't want to do this to her.

My head involuntarily bent down and I made quick work of her, hoping to cause as little pain as possible. There was only a little bit of blood left as I regained control over my body. I pulled back in disgust; disgust in what I'd done, in what I am.

I'm a monster.

I sobbed dryly, sick with everything. I should have died, not her. Not Bella.

I felt a cold hand on my cheek. Almost lifeless. I looked at Bella. I thought she had died already.

She smiled softly, looking like an angel. "You're not a monster," she said. With that, she stopped breathing.

I cried out, feeling as if I was being ripped in two. Even looking in the eyes of her killer, she had smiled. And I was the one that took that goodness away from the world. For my own, horrible, selfish reasons.

I scooped her in my arms, the practical side of me saying that I couldn't leave her there for people to find, and my heart telling me that I wanted her to be with me as long as possible, dead or no.

Running quickly, I reached the house. The house we would need to leave soon. Because of me.

I burst through the door, panting wildly, not because I needed the oxygen, but because the pain I was feeling was almost equal to that of my change.

"Edward, dear, what's wrong?" cried Esme.

I couldn't answer. I sobbed some more. She came towards me and saw the limp form in my arms more clearly. I heard her thoughts. I knew she didn't judge me. That just ripped a new hole in my still heart. Why could no one see me for the horror I was?

Esme came and wrapped her arms around Bella and I, and I was too wrapped up in my own sorrow to shrug her off. When she tried to take the girl from me, though, I snarled at her. She stepped back and said firmly but kindly, "Edward, snap out of it. You can't hold onto her forever."

I controlled myself to a certain degree and said, "You're right. I'm sorry. I'll put her in one of the other rooms." I walked up the stairs slowly so I wouldn't jostle her anymore than necessary.

When we got to the second story of the house, I deliberated before bringing her into my room. Carefully, I laid her on the black couch that took up one wall. With her head on the pillow, her wavy locks spread out around her face and her eyes closed, I could believe she was only sleeping.

I trailed my hand over her face and whispered in her ear. "I'm so sorry."

I walked away before I could start sobbing again, trying to fool myself into thinking that she would wake if I was too loud. It wasn't working well.

I slid down the wall on the other side of the room from her, looking at her, trying to memorise the curves of her face. I didn't blink. I didn't breath. I couldn't move an inch. My head was empty as I heard Esme on the phone with first Carlisle, and then Alice. It wasn't two minutes before my family converged in the living room.

I didn't want to face them. I was too ashamed. So I stayed, observing Bella.

What did she like to do in her spare time? Did she have any siblings? I'd picked up from someone's head that she had moved here from Phoenix. Had she liked it there? Why had she moved here? Did she like the rain? What about her father? Her mother? How devastated would they be? Very much so, I'd imagine. She seemed like a very caring girl. Very intelligent. I wonder if she liked classical music. Did she enjoy reading? Did she play any sports? Did she have many friends back in Phoenix? I bet she did. She was very beautiful and kind. Did she miss her friends?

I found that asking myself these trivial questions calmed me somewhat. Maybe calm is the wrong word. I now felt numb. Numb to the pain of Bella's death. She should have stayed in Phoenix.

My family was getting restless. I knew they wanted to give me my space, but they also wanted answers. They wanted to discuss what we would do now that I had… killed… Bella.

Bella…

The plan, of course, would be the same as every time. We would stay for the next month or so, make it look like we were as clueless as the rest of the town in reference to the disappearance of Bella Swan, maybe even help with searching for her. We'd say that we were so grief stricken by the fact that such a nice girl, with such potential, had gone missing, we needed to get away. We'd probably go to England or somewhere as cloudy.

I needed to get out of this room. I'd come back up once I'd finished talking to the others. With one last glance at the beautiful, 'sleeping' form on my couch, I walked downstairs.

Taking a deep breath, I walked into the spacious living room.

They all gasped. I wasn't expecting that reaction.

"Edward," Rosalie said, her voice awed, "Your eyes… they're…"

I looked in the mirror above the mantle.

"Green…" I said my voice a whisper.

What was going on?

* * *

Again, sorry it was so lame. If anybody's wondering why he's acting so weird, Edward is sort of in shock. Yeah. Anyway, please review. If you don't I won't think this is any good because I have issues like that, and I'll just try another idea and throw this story in the dumpster. If computers had dumpsters. Right.

Love from,

Disgruntled, disgruntled female


	9. Sammy

Hey! I'm sorry that it's taken so long for me to update, but life has been hectic. It's also really short, but I won't have much time to update in the next couple of months, so I wanted to give this to you now.

Let me know how you like it.

Disclaimer: Of course I own Twilight. Don't you know anything? Just own up to the fact that you forgot that I am Stephanie Meyer and Twilight is mine. Now read just the underlined words.

* * *

Little by little, I felt myself coming back. There was my finger, now my sense of smell, that was a door I heard closing, and that was my breath making my hair flutter against my cheek. I licked my dry lips and opened my eyes to… a bright white ceiling.

That was unexpected.

Wasn't I killed in the forest? Where was the rain? The trees? The wind?

I pushed myself up on my elbows, surprised at how my arms sank into whatever it was that I was laying on. Looking around, I saw that the room I was in had a theme. Black and gold surrounded me, from the midnight black paint on the walls to the gold carpeting and accents. I looked down and saw that I was on a couch. A black couch. A black _leather_ couch.

Disgusted, I rolled off and landed with a soft thump on the plush carpet.

"What was that?" asked a voice below me. I stiffened. By the faintness of the sound, whoever had spoken had very, very good hearing, which was very, very bad for me. I waited in suspense for someone to come up to where I was and kill me all over again; which, by the way, was quite painful. I could still feel where Edward had bitten me. The small, moon-shaped ridge, a few degrees cooler than my body temperature, would forever be a reminder of the time I died.

I smiled ruefully at myself. Well, it would be a reminder of the seventh time I died.

Below, I heard a kind sound. "I didn't hear anything, dear." The woman who was speaking had nothing but love and concern in her voice. It soothed me.

There was a few more seconds of silence before the male who had spoken earlier said, his breathtaking voice calm, "I'm sure you're right, Esme. It was just my imagination." I unclenched and waited a few more seconds, not bothering to listen to the quiet conversation going on under my feet. When I heard no one coming, I quietly sat up, careful not to touch the inside out cow somebody called a couch.

I gently lifted myself up and padded over to the wall opposite me, as silent as possible with my sneakers on my feet. I used a little magic to erase the wet footprints from the carpet and dried myself off. The first was so that whoever had me didn't see that I had been up at all and the second was because I was cold.

The 'wall' I was headed towards was not really a wall, but a large pane of glass stretching from one side of the room to the other. A window. The view was beautiful. Tall trees as far as the eye could see. And then, there was Caolen, looking up at me from the edge of the forest. His arms were crossed over his chest again and he raised his eyebrow when he saw me looking back at him. He was smiling, though, and I couldn't help but return it. I shooed him back into the cover of the trees with a flapping gesture of my hands and he complied to my silent request, backing into the shadows.

Caolen being there made me remember how Sammy had been standing in the brush, like he had been, her young face lit up, waving at me frantically. That, in turn, reminded me of my situation and where I was.

Where _was_ I?

Edward left me in the forest, didn't he? If so, who brought me here? Was it the Dorchalan? Did they finally capture me? If it was, they would never find out from me where _Pairc Glormhar_ was. It was a secret our kind kept with our lives.

But the voices I heard spoke much too sweetly to be any of them. They, who thrived in the dark and the shadows, would not have such a lovely home with such large windows. No, it wasn't them. Then who had brought me here?

I considered the fact that it may have been Edward. But why?

The voices got louder and I decided that the easiest way to find out was to listen.

"We can't keep her here forever," said an angry female, definitely not as caring as the other woman. Were they talking about me?

"We are all aware of that, but we must first figure out what to do with her." That was the man I had heard before.

All was still and I was getting impatient. There was at least three of them, so I was outnumbered. However, that did not mean that I wouldn't win if it came down to a fight.

Focusing in on their wishes, I was surprised to hear most of them centered around each other. My digging showed me that they were, in fact, the Cullens. You could tell by their voices.

Now, when I say voices, I don't mean the noises they are able to make with the aid of their vocal cords. A person's wishing voice is much different than their physical one. It is really the sound of your soul. For example somebody's voice could be squeaky and hard on the ears, but their wishing voice could be the most beautiful sound you'll ever hear, because their soul is pure.

The Cullen's, however, were the only people I have ever met where their two voices were as similar as could be.

_I wish I could do something for Edward… I wish I could have saved Bella… I wish things will turn out alright… _Came the tinkling soprano 'voice' of my new friend, Alice.

The others were variations of the same thoughts. I even learned the name of the clan leader and his mate. Carlisle and Esme Cullen. It seemed like a very caring family. But then there was the one black sheep.

Edward.

He was off in his own world. While his family worried and thought about him, he was busy wallowing in self pity.

_I wish I wasn't such an awful person… I wish everyone would leave me alone… I wish I hadn't killed her…_ Even though his 'voice' was just as silky smooth as normal, proving that he was a genuinely good _leath daonna,_ I didn't like how wrapped up in himself he was being. It was obviously a hard time for all of them, but he was only thinking of how it affected him!

I frowned. Standing here isn't helping my position at all. I'd learned all that I needed to know, so why hadn't I moved?

Shaking my head at my stupidity, I bent down and took off my shoes. I padded over to the door and opened it silently. With one last glare toward the couch, I was out of the room.

Once I crossed through the door way, I felt hardwood flooring beneath my feet. The hall was a lot brighter than the room I was just in. I walked over to the large staircase to my left and sat on the wide banister. I figured that sliding down it would be much faster, quieter, and that there would be less of a chance that I would trip over my own feet. The only noise I made on my way down was the silent hiss of my jeans rubbing against the rail.

With my shoes in my hand, I was at the base of the stairs, only one more obstacle between me and the front door. I somehow had to sneak past the entrance to the room the Cullen clan was currently residing in. After a few moments of thinking, I shrugged and just traipsed by. With my scent, my heartbeat, my entire presence erased to them, I was able to walk noiselessly by the room, unnoticed by all of them. The only one how was facing my direction in the first place was Edward, so if he was to lift his face from his hands any time, he would see me. But he was still too busy wallowing.

I pulled a face at his slumped form and then skipped (silently) to the door. I opened it without so much as a squeak from the hinges and closed it just as quietly, with me on the outside. I smiled at the rain on my face and walked over to Caolen. He smirked at me and asked, "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Ha ha," I said dryly. "Now let's get out of here before they realize I'm gone."

We melted into the forest, not visible to anyone anymore, not even each other. I could feel him near, though. "So," I started calmly, as if commenting on the fact that it was raining. "My sister has come for a visit, I see."

He laughed. He little runt laughed at me. I had been sick with worry over her and all he could do is laugh. "Yes," he smiled. "She's a tenacious one, your sister. She's actually with your father right now."

My eyes widened, and I ran in the direction of the house, leaving Caolen behind.

I reached the front door and wrenched it open. "Dad! I'm home!" I cried, trying to hide the frantic edge in my voice.

"Bella!" he said. "Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" He came from the living room and gathered me in a big hug.

"Sorry dad," I said. "I was walking around town and lost track of time." I smiled sheepishly, hoping he would buy that story.

"Well, good thing for you we have more important things to discuss, or else you would have had quite the verbal lashing," he said, wagging his finger in my face. I could see the smile threatening to show.

I feigned ignorance. "What important things do we have to discuss?"

Charlie's grin was released and he turned his head to the room he's just come from. "Sammy!" he called.

My face contorted. She was actually here. I was torn between hugging her with relief that she was safe and with me, and strangling her for pulling that stunt. But I was saved from making that decision when my jaw dropped itself. There, walking out of the living room was my exact double.

"You never told me you had a twin," my father said, looking at me, hurt and excitement fighting for dominance on his expression. From behind him, Sammy smiled. My little, six year old sister now looked like a carbon copy of me. My twin. A brown haired, brown eyed eleventh grade girl.

School tomorrow was going to be hell.

* * *

Please tell me what you think. I had a measly four reviews (thanks girl who needs 12 step program, Twilighter, Renie96, and LNZlou for your support). I WANT MORE!!! Grrr…

Love disgruntled female


	10. Questions

Here we are. I just wanted to thank all of my reviewers, and how better to do so than with a new chapter? So here you are, Chapter Ten, in… EPOV!!! Huzzah!

Hope you like it.

Disgruntled female

Disclaimer: I really really wish that I owned Twilight. Cause then I'd have a million dollars (Then I'd have a million dollars) and I'd buy me a house (Yes, I'd buy me a big house)… You know the rest…

* * *

School was going to be hell.

All I wanted to do was go visit the Denali clan for a while, until things settled down. But that wasn't an option. It would be too suspicious of me to disappear at the same time as Bella.

At that thought, I felt my stomach clench. Where _had _she gone? My family and I had been talking for an hour - well, they'd been talking for an hour, I had been too absorbed in my own problems to contribute much – and somewhere in that time, her body had vanished. There was no evidence of anyone being in there, but it wasn't as if she could just get up and walk away.

I cringed. All of this was my fault. She couldn't get up and walk away because I'd killed her.

But that brought back the question: Where was she?

Bella Swan had brought so many problems with her.

Why couldn't I resist her blood? Why was she the one person that cracked my self control? Why did I kill her? Here did her body disappear to? And why the hell are my eyes green?

Those were all questions I dwelled upon as I drove my siblings and myself to Forks High.

"Hey," Alice said softly, reaching her hand out to grip my shoulder lightly from her place in the passenger seat. "De-clench, would you? It will all turn out for the better." Correctly interpreting my skeptical glance, she said with a smile, "It always does."

I grunted a reply, not in the mood for conversation.

We reached the school in minimal time and I steeled myself for a hard day.

Just as I stepped out of the car, a solid form ran into me. Whoever it was fell to the ground with the force of the impact, making a noise of protest.

I looked down, ready to apologize. The words caught in my throat, however, when I looked into the warm brown eyes and heart shaped face of Bella.

It couldn't believe it. It was just in the realm of impossible. To think that the girl whose life I'd taken away, the one that I'd thought about, grieved over for the last sixteen hours was sitting in a puddle, looking up at me innocently.

There was no way that it wasn't her. Her chocolate locks plastered on her pale skin, the plump lips that were now so full of color, the rain drops falling on her face as she raised her eyes to mine, it was all so familiar. There was no doubt in my mind that it was her. But how? How could she be still living? Unless I'd turned her into one of us…

No. It couldn't have happened like that. She was dead. She couldn't have come back as quickly as she had if she had been turned. It would have taken three days. But it had to be…

"Bella?" breathed Alice from beside me.

The girl at my feet shifted her eyes from my green ones to Alice's golden ones, but there was no recognition in them.

"I'm sorry?" she said, her breathy voice reaching my ears.

At that moment, another voice came to us. "Sammy," it cried. This one, unlike the one that came from Bella's lips, was familiar. It was melodic and I would be able to recognize it anywhere.

_You're not a monster…_

My head snapped up at the sound, as did the girl's. The girl smiled making her look almost childlike.

I stood frozen as a girl came running toward us, her hair flying behind her and her face taut with worry. "Sammy," she said, her voice a mixture of relief and scolding. "I told you to stay by me." When the girl on the ground did nothing but blink up at her, smiling, she sighed and held out her hand to help her up. (A/N Wow, that was a confusing sentence.) "At all times," she specified. Finally, she looked up at my family and I and her eyes and smile widened. "Hi," she said.

So, Bella had a twin. Or were they triplets? That would make much more sense.

"Bella, Bella!" cried the girl that must be Sammy. There goes my theory. "Look! I made new friends!"

That surprised us all. She didn't even know our names.

Bella rolled her eyes, but patted her doppelganger on the head, and said, "That's nice, dear."

I still couldn't believe it. "Bella?" I asked, tentatively. She looked at me, and smiled. It was her.

"Yes, Edward?" She looked at me blankly for a few seconds, and none of us said anything. Misunderstanding our silent shock as something else, she said, "Oh! Right! This is my sister, everyone. Sammy, these are the Cullens."

"The Cullens!" Sammy yelped. "You mean-"

"Hey, Edward," Bella interrupted. "Did you get new contacts?"

I looked at her strangely. "Contacts?" Why would I need contacts?

She stepped closer, almost touching me, but not quite, standing on her toes to put less difference in our heights. I hadn't noticed before then that she was so much shorter than I was. She kept her eyes on mine and looked so sweet. I tried telling myself that the reason I wasn't breathing was because I didn't want a repeat of the day before.

Bella bit her lip and observed me from beneath her lashes. "Your eyes," she said. "They're green."

I cleared my throat nervously and took a step back. Immediately, I missed our closeness.

Coldly, I told her, "My eyes have always been green."

She followed my lead and took a step back. She looked hurt by my tone. "Oh," she said in a small voice. "Sorry, I just thought…"

She trailed off as Sammy tugged on her arm. "Bella," she whispered. "Bella, I want to go see Caolen and the others."

"Not now, Sammy," she said, placating her twin.

"But, Bella, you promised him. After I walked into our room and you two were in there, and I you two stopped whispering in each other's ears and then you jumped off the bed when you saw me, and he pulled you back down and held onto your hand and-"

"Yes, Sammy, I know. I was there." Bella's face now had a tinge of red. It was quite endearing. But who was this Caolen guy?

"-and he started to whisper in your ear again, and you said that you'd continue this tomorrow." Sammy smiled triumphantly, as if it were a feat for her to have remembered all of that. "Today is tomorrow!"

"Yes, sweetie, it is," Bella said with a smile.

Alice decided that this was the perfect time for her to interrupt. "Who's Caolen?" she asked.

Rosalie was thinking that Bella had just come back from the dead and all Alice could care about was the girl's boyfriend.

I glared at her fiercely. Bella didn't have a boyfriend. Did she?

I looked at Bella as she answered. "Caolen is a friend of mine." That's it? No explanation? Really, who is this guy?

"Do we know him?" Alice persisted.

She hesitated slightly. "No, no, I don't think so."

Alice looked at me. "Does he live around here at all?" Why was she prying? It was none of our business. I didn't want to admit that I was perhaps even more curious than her.

"Actually," said a deep voice. "I just moved here."

"And I decided to come with."

Bella's jaw dropped and I'm sure most of the girls in the vicinity had the same reaction. Standing just outside the circle our group made were two men. I am comfortable enough in my masculinity to say that they did have a certain appeal to women.

"Zavier," Bella breathed.

"Vivi!" Sammy cried as she launched herself into the boy's arms.

"Mimi!" he cried, laughing. "You sure grew up fast," he said, like an accusation, glancing at Bella, almost blaming her.

"Who are your friends, Bella," Emmett asked protectively. He had already grown attached to her. He thought it was amazing how she did her, literally, death-defying trick and that was enough to get her in his good books. He didn't like the look the boy was giving her.

"What are you doing here?" Bella asked, a pleasant smile on her face, but a hard edge in her voice.

"We need to talk," 'Zavier' said.

"Xavier, now is really not the time," she said quietly. "And _you_," she hissed, turning to the other boy. "You sure are a lot _taller_ than the last time I saw you. And didn't you learn from last time _not_ to surprise me?"

"Bella, dear," the boy said. "I thought all girls loved surprises."

"I hate surprises," she muttered lowly.

"Bella?" Emmett pressed.

She stopped glaring at the boy and looked at Emmett. "Oh my. You must think me terribly rude. That's the second time today. Everybody, these are my friends, Caolen and Xavier. Boys, these are the Cullens."

"You mean these are the ones-" Xavier started, taking a threatening step towards us.

Bella glided in front of him and put a hand on his chest. I could have sworn she said "Covert operation."

Whatever she said, it made him back off. As if he could take us.

"Look, you two," Bella said, authority in her voice. "I will talk to you later. Like I said. This isn't a good time."

"Alright," Caolen said. The boys looked at each other, Xavier with a hint of the same mischief in his eyes that Bella's seem to have, and Caolen with something more like wry humor. "You are absolutely correct. We have much better things to be doing than standing around here chatting."

"Exactly," Bella said, relieved. "Sammy and I need to get her signed up for her classes and you two need – "

"To get signed up for our classes," Caolen said coolly, leaning against the car behind him. I have never wished for car alarms as much as I did at that moment.

"What?" Bella said sharply.

"We're going to school here," Caolen said, his gaze calculating.

I have never seen anyone as furious as Bella was at that comment.

"Oh, this is fantastic," Sammy said, extatic. "Come on everyone." She grabbed Caolen and Xavier's hands and towed them along. Xavier caught hold of Bella's with his free one as he went by and whispered to her, "I hope you aren't too upset."

She glared at him then quickly flicked her eyes over to us. He firmly shut his lips and glanced at us, himself.

When they saw us looking at them, Bella straightened up and smiled. "Samantha," she trilled, pulling a complete three sixty in personality. "You're pulling us in the wrong direction."

Sammy giggled and turned them all around. They marched past us again and Bella waved as she went by. "See you all later," she laughed.

The five of us stood there for a moment, in silence before Jasper said, "Well, that was strange."

* * *

I know, I know, it's still really confusing. I'll introduce Zavier properly next chapter. How did you like the new chapter? I kinda thought it sucked, but, whatever. I wanted to give you guys something.

Love you all,

Disgruntled female


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